Natalie Uy claimed the bronze medal by clearing 4.20 meters in the pole vault during the 23rd Asian Athletics Championships.

Uy’s bronze-medal performance in the 45-nation athletics championship equalled the Philippine record which the 23-year old Fil-American established during the 2019 Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships just last March.

Uy, a magna cum laude graduate of the East Michigan University, cleared 4.20 in her first attempt, setting herself up for at least a bronze medal finish.

Uy had the bar raised to 4.3 meters but failed in all her three attempts thus paving the way for China’s two entries to pocket the gold and silver medals.

Her bronze-medal finish followed Ernest John Obiena's gold medal win also in the pole vault.

Obiena, 23, set a new national record when he cleared 5.71-meters in his first try.

• READ: Philippines' Obiena wins gold in pole vault

Both Obiena and Uy catapulted the Philippines to a tie for 10th spot in the overall medal tally, as of Tuesday night.

PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico expressed satisfaction at the two medals the Philippines got from pole vault.

”Our team’s performance is totally remarkable. Pole vault as an athletics discipline has indeed huge medal potentials in major international competitions including the upcoming SEA Games. Our team got even commended by the French coach of China, branding the Philippines as a 'pole vault country,'" said Juico.

Asked about her feat, Uy said she will concentrate on jumping 4.3 meters between now and the SEA Games which she and Obiena are expected to rule.

Uy trained in Spain, where she was teaching English online, before trying out for the Philippine team in Ilagan city.

She will compete in the Thailand Open in the next few weeks before training in Ohio and in Lingayen, Pangasinan where the Philippine Athletics Team has set up camp.

The other Filipino entry, Alyana Nicolas, still adjusting to coach Emerson Obiena’s instructions, cleared 3.8 meters and failed at a higher height.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)